


Stay Forever With Me

by OnlySecondsAway



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-28
Updated: 2012-09-05
Packaged: 2017-11-13 01:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnlySecondsAway/pseuds/OnlySecondsAway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one thing that is making Steve's life easier is Tony, and Tony is the happiest he's been in a very long time. But when Tony realizes how fast things are moving, will his self-destructive tendencies get in the way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stay For Tonight If You Want To

Right now, Steve is lying in bed. Tony's bed, to be exact. The space next to him, though, is unoccupied. Steve is used to this by now. He knows Tony has never been one to keep a regular sleep schedule.

Tony is currently in the shower, not caring that it's only a little past three in the morning. Tony always tries to be quiet, and Steve always pretends to stay asleep as he gets out of bed, peeking through half-closed lids as Tony moves about the room.

Today, though, Tony is singing quietly to himself, muffled by the sound of water and the almost-closed bathroom door. Steve hardly notices it at first, and when he does, he can't help but smile. Though Tony can be sarcastic, impatient, and flippant, Steve knows there are so many other parts to him. If he were asked if one word could describe Tony Stark, Steve would say "guarded;" though Tony might say "genius," or "billionaire." At that thought, Steve gives a small laugh; the difference in would-be-answers is the point.

In the several months they'd known each other, Steve had learned quite a bit about Tony. While their relationship had started off rocky, it quickly improved after Steve and the rest of the Avengers moved in with Tony. They began to get to know each other, both being plagued by frequent bouts of insomnia. When it started, the two would sit for hours at a time, drinking coffee while Tony showed Steve different things he had missed over the last several decades. As they grew more comfortable with each other, their conversations grew deeper and more personal.

One night, he and Tony were sitting on a couch in Tony's workshop, while Steve told him about some of his childhood. As he trailed off at the end of a story he noticed Tony, who was barely awake at that point, start to lean over on to him. Steve smiled, and effortlessly scooped him up, to carry him to bed. When they reached Tony's room, he set him down gently on the bed, and left for his own room. This began to happen more frequently over the following weeks.

Steve would say that their relationship started in that time, particularly one night a month or so in to their routine. As Steve leaned down to lay Tony on his bed, Tony held onto his arm, mumbling "stay," so quietly that Steve could have missed it. Unsure of himself, he sat down with Tony, who tugged him over with Steve's arms still wrapped around him.

Blinking, Steve hears the water turn off, though Tony is still singing gently to himself. Tony slips into the room quietly, not knowing Steve is awake. He shuffles into a grey tank and black sweats, and heads for the door, probably to go down to the workshop.

"Stay," Steve whispers, startling Tony just a little. Tony turns slowly, smiles softly, and climbs back into bed. Steve runs his hand through Tony's still-dripping hair, and then wraps his arms around him, with Tony's head on his chest.


	2. I Can't Imagine Being Anywhere Else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These first two chapters are just kind of introductions to the story, and the rest of the story will longer chapters.

Tony wakes up, bleary eyes wandering to the clock on the bedside table, and observes it's only just past three. He feels Steve's warmth against his back and relaxes for a moment, before quietly slipping out of bed. Now is as good a time as any to get started on his day.

As he steps softly to the bathroom he glances back, smiling, taking in Steve's sleeping form; cuddled against the pillow Tony had just relinquished.

Tony starts the shower, and slips out of his boxers as the water warms up. After looking himself over in the large bathroom mirror, he gets into the shower, already filled with steam, sliding under the soft stream of water. Without really even noticing it, he begins to hum to himself, and then starts softly singing what he can remember of an old song he had heard Steve listening to the day before.

Tony smiles at the thought. He loves the balance that Steve gives to his life; the man out of time was like an anchor for him, the man who quite literally invents the future. Tony knows Steve thinks he's just learning from Tony, but he doesn't realize how much he is Tony is learning from him.

When they first started their late-night talks, Tony would show Steve how things worked, or a viral video he might like. When their conversations grew deeper and more intimate, Tony would listen for hours as Steve told him about his life growing up, his favorite old musicians, and his time in the army.

Tony shakes his head, feeling the water's temperature start to drop, and finishes rinsing off. Still singing to the tune in his head, he climbs out of the shower, and wraps his towel around his waist. As he slips into the room, dripping water as he goes, he smiles again at the sleeping Steve, and remembers the first time he sleepily asked Steve to stay with him, his smile growing wider.

Tony quietly finds himself a grey tank and a pair of black track pants, and tosses his towel over a desk chair, as he shuffles over to the bedroom door. He figures he can get in some work downstairs before Steve wakes up.

"Stay," Tony hears Steve murmur from the bed, surprising him. At the request Tony moves back over to the bed, and lies down next to the soldier, who runs his hand through Tony's dripping wet hair. Relishing in the feeling, Tony slides down and rests his head on Steve's chest.


	3. Can't Promise That Things Won't Be Broken

Sometime after Tony's middle of the night shower, but before Steve's eight a.m. alarm, the super soldier awakes to the sleeping genius still wrapped in his arms, face pressed into his chest. Noticing that it's now about half past seven, Steve happily realizes Tony has managed to sneak in a few extra hours of sleep.

Very carefully, and without waking Tony, Steve manages to untangle himself from the other man, and makes his way to the shower. After taking his time shaving, washing his short blonde hair, and scrubbing his body, he returns to the bedroom. Laughing softly to himself, he sees that Tony is gone, and left in his place is a scribbled note that simply reads "coffee."

Tossing his towel over the desk chair with Tony's previously discarded one, Steve tugs on a hoodie and a pair of jeans before making his way to the kitchen. Natasha is already there, sipping from a mug of tea, and Bruce is fidgeting with his toast as he watches Tony tinker with the coffee maker.

"Morning," Steve says, as he walks over to Tony, and places a kiss on his shoulder. "What's wrong with the coffee machine?"

"Nothing," Bruce says flatly, "Tony just thinks it should work  _faster_."

"No," Tony defends, "I  _know_  it should work faster. I can  _make_  it work faster."

"Yeah well, you could've started this little project after we got our coffee from it," Bruce argues indignantly.

Hoping to ease the tension between the two caffeine-deprived geniuses, Steve rummages through the fridge until he finds a bottle of some pre-packaged Starbucks drink he's recently discovered he likes. Handing it to Banner, and ignoring Tony's scoffs, he also grabs one for himself.

"I still don't understand how you even drink those," Tony begins before Steve cuts him off.

"Because despite the fact that they're 'overly sweet' and 'are hardly even coffee,'" Steve mocks, "They are delicious."

"And there's nothing you can do to try and 'fix' them," Bruce mutters, "at eight in the morning."

Tony appears like he's about to retort, but Steve stops him with a kiss, "Just hurry up with the coffee maker," he murmurs against the other man's mouth.

At that point the others start to shuffle in sleepily, all groaning when they realize that Tony has taken apart the machine by that time. Steve thinks he hears something from Clint about "this is why we can't have nice things," and laughs.

Finishing the last swallow from the small, glass bottle Steve relocates from the now-crowded kitchen to the living room. After staring at the complicated set of remotes on the coffee table in front of him, Steve figures he should just forgo the trouble, and asks JARVIS to help get him started instead.

"JARVIS?" He asks tentatively, still not used to the AI.

"Yes, sir?" JARVIS replies in his typical, cool voice.

"Can you turn on the television? I-I'm not sure which remote to use," he answers, only slightly embarrassed.

"Certainly, Captain Rogers. Is there any program in particular you wish to view?"

"Um, just the news is fine," Steve says as the television instantly switches on to one of the Fox News morning programs.

Steve doesn't think he'll ever get used to the TVs they have now, with how large, colorful, and bright they are, it almost feels like he could reach out and tap the anchor on the shoulder. This would've floored everyone he knew back when he was still the scrawny Steve Rogers kid who never quit while he was ahead. Now, however, it's just common place; there's one of these screens in practically every room of every place he's ever been. Even the mall Tony took him to, to find an "updated look," had them hanging from the ceilings; as if there weren't enough things to look at already.

Steve is startled from his thoughts when Thor drops down next to him on the couch, with quite possibly the largest bowl of cereal Steve could imagine.

"Why not just pour the milk straight into the box?" Steve asks humorously, to let Thor know it isn't to make him feel bad.

"That is something I have tried and considered," the Asgardian god replies seriously, "however, the milk merely created a mess on the counter after seeping its way through the box."

Steve just chuckles at him, conceding. "That does seem like a fatal flaw in the plan."

"Or perhaps in the flimsy, Midgardian box," Thor says through a massive mouthful of the Cocoa Crispies.

Steve rolls his eyes, and partially refocuses his attention on the program in front of him, which Thor had changed to some useless show about celebrity gossip.

By this time, everyone else has regrouped on the couches to eat their breakfasts and watch TV in peace for a while. Natasha begins picking apart some actress's wardrobe, which Steve doesn't understand, and only Clint listens to. Meanwhile, Thor starts in on a box of Pop Tarts, Tony is squished against Steve with a part of the coffee maker in his hands, and Bruce is still glaring at him from the chair he's in. Overall, things are fairly peaceful. Which is saying something for their little make-shift family.

As soon as he hears Tony's name on the television, though, Steve starts giving the show his full attention. Tony, however, just freezes; a look of fear, and possibly pain, flashing across his face.


	4. How The Hell Did You Ever Pick Me?

"-And happy birthday to Tony Stark," Exclaims the blonde model-type on camera, with a photo of a grinning Tony on the screen next to her, "Still one of America's hottest bachelors at thirty-nine!"

The whole team goes quiet now, before Thor reacts excitedly.

"Tony!" Thor booms in his boisterous voice, "You did not tell us today is the anniversary of your birth! This is a joyous occasion!"

"Yeah, I guess I just didn't want to make a big fuss out of it," Tony remarks quietly, hoping their attention will soon be drawn elsewhere.

"Please, Stark," Barton begins, "Everything is always a big fuss with you."

"Look. It's just not important. Okay?" Tony defends, getting a little angry, adding a "Can we just drop it?" before hurriedly leaving the room.

The group looks to Steve now.

"Did he tell you?" Natasha questions.

"No, he, uh, hadn't mentioned it," Steve replies, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hadn't even really thought about it."

"That's not really like him," Natasha adds, agreeing with Clint's previous statement. "He usually wouldn't let anyone forget his birthday. Maybe you should go talk to him?"

"Yeah, I guess I should," Steve agrees, standing and moving toward the stairs to Tony's workshop, before giving a nod back to the group.

As he makes his way down, he can hear Tony's music loudly thumping over the speakers in the workshop, increasing his concern for the clearly upset man.

"Tony?" He calls out, trying to speak over the music. "Tony!"

But Tony has his head down, and is absorbedly trying to make himself look busy, despite the fact that he had only just stormed out of the room a moment before.

"JARVIS!" Steve yells out, "Can you shut off this music for just a minute?"

JARVIS does so immediately, which actually surprises both Steve and Tony, who interjects with a quickly muttered "traitor," before trying again to appear busy.

"Hey, Tony," Steve starts, placing a hand on the older man's shoulder. "What's wrong? It's not a big deal that you didn't mention your birthday, really. We're just worried about why you seem so upset by it," he adds, pulling Tony closer to him and wrapping his arms around him with his chest pressed to the other man's back.

"It's really nothing," Tony tries to pull away. "Like I said earlier, I just didn't really feel like making a fuss this year."

"Tony, please. You don't have to pretend with me. You can tell the others whatever you'd like," Steve calmly pushes, "But please, don't lock me out."

Tony remains quiet for a moment, the silence now feeling particularly heavy. Steve, however, doesn't let go of him. He feels Tony start to relax and turns him around to face him, the smaller man pressing his face into Steve's chest.

"It's just," Tony starts slowly, "I just don't see a reason to celebrate anymore."

Steve gives him a soft yet quizzical look, urging him to continue.

Tony exhales loudly, before continuing. "When I see you, I see the same young man who was in all the videos from the war, the guy I saw in photographs next to my young father. And I realize how much older I am than you. Not technically, I guess, but physically. You're so perfect, and young, and fit. And I'm almost forty now, with graying hair at my temples, and wrinkles around my eyes and forehead. It just seems easier to try not to think about it. Why would you even want to be with someone like me? I figured, If I don't mention it, maybe no one will-"

"Tony, no," Steve stops him. "Look at me," he says, drawing Tony's eyes upward. "You are perfect," he reassures him, placing a kiss on each of Tony's temples. "Whatever you think your flaws are, forget about them, okay?" Steve asks, placing another kiss on the middle of his forehead. "I want to be with you, because you give me an anchor in this world. I don't know what I'm doing half the time I'm awake, but you make that better. You show me things, you teach me things, and you listen to me," Steve emphasizes, "I couldn't imagine  _not_ being with you. I don't know where else I'd rather be."

Steve pulls Tony in tighter, kissing the top of his head, and starts to understand the feeling he gets in his gut when he's around the smaller man.

"Thank you," Tony says softly into the fabric of Steve's hoodie.

"Thank  _you_ ," Steve emphasizes. "Why don't we spend your birthday together? Just the two of us? We can lay low. No fuss, I promise," he smiles.

"I'd like that."

* * *

 **A/N:**  So I'm pretty sure Tony is actually about ten years older than that, but the movies seem to make him younger. I've definitely never gotten the impression he's supposed to be pushing fifty. I figured I'd just shave off an even ten, make it easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm pretty sure Tony is actually about ten years older than that, but the movies seem to make him younger. I've definitely never gotten the impression he's supposed to be pushing fifty. I figured I'd just shave off an even ten, make it easy.


	5. When Everything is Made to be Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My playlist while writing this story has been:
> 
> "Echo" by Jason Walker
> 
> "Iris" covered by Sleeping with Sirens
> 
> "James Dean & Audrey Hepburn (acoustic)" by Sleeping with Sirens
> 
> "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri
> 
> It's where I get inspiration, chapter titles, etc.

Steve has to admit, that he is actually surprised, once Tony decides what he wants to do for his birthday. To make the older man feel more at ease after his mini-meltdown that morning, Steve had told him that they could spend his birthday doing whatever Tony wanted, even if was something Steve didn't normally enjoy. After a pregnant pause, in which Steve could actually  _see_  the genius's mind whirring, Tony perks up with an idea.

"Go get dressed!" He yells, even though Steve is still right in front of him. "Something casual. You know, like those jeans that make your ass look so sexy," he continues, making Steve redden at the thought. "And a flannel shirt, or something!"

"May I ask why?" Steve inquires, grinning at the excited look on Tony's face.

"Nope. No questions," Tony states matter-of-factly.

"But, Tony," Steve starts skeptically, before being silenced.

"No. Hush. Just do it," the other man insists emphatically, before pressing a quick kiss to his soldier's lips, and running upstairs, yelling back "My birthday! My rules! 15 minutes!"

Steve takes this as his cue to get a move on, and thirty minutes later the two men are on their way, in a pick-up truck Steve didn't even know Tony owned.

When Steve had asked about it, Tony had just muttered something about "blending in a little better," as he tugged on an old Aerosmith shirt over his long-sleeved shirt. He had also handed Steve a pair of aviator-style sunglasses, before putting on his own Ray Bans.

Steve is currently listening to Tony singing at the top of his lungs to an old rock song Steve is sure he's heard before, but still can't quite place, when he notices they're leaving the city, and heading down to New Jersey.

"Tony, why are we going to New Jersey? Don't you  _hate_  New Jersey?"

"No!" Tony exclaims "What gave you that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know," Steve starts to tease, "Maybe the fact that you have, on more than a few occasions, mentioned that 'real New Yorkers don't  _go_  to Jersey.'"

"Oh, yeah. Well I mean today we kind of  _have_  to. And hush. It's my birthday, I can have anything I want," he argues with a wink, making Steve laugh, and lean over to kiss his cheek.

"So when do I get to know where it is we're going?" Steve asked, "I mean, it's your birthday, shouldn't  _I_  be the one surprising  _you_?"

"Oh just wait. Sit back and relax, you'll be okay," Tony laughs lightly, "We're almost there anyway."

And Tony's right. A few minutes later they pull up to what looks like some kind of family fun park, a few brightly colored buildings, mini-golf, and a few areas that seem to contain mini cars, which Steve has never seen before.

"You want to come here?" Steve asks, quite surprised as he turns to face Tony. "Why?"

"Yeah," Tony admits, looking a little embarrassed. "I thought it sounded fun," he adds sheepishly.

Realizing he may have hurt his birthday boy's feelings, Steve leans over and gives him a quick kiss.

"It does sound fun," Steve pauses. "I haven't been anywhere like this since I was a kid, and it wasn't as neat as this looks. I'm just surprised, is all. It doesn't seem like  _your_  usual kind of thing."

Tony is silent for a moment, in which he carefully roles his sleeves up to his elbows, pushes his sunglasses on top of his head, and checks his reflection in the mirror, before speaking his thoughts.

"I know Howard was kind of a friend to you," Tony begins reluctantly, "but I'm sure by now you've gathered that he wasn't the best dad to me. I found out later that he had called me his 'greatest creation,' but he sure did have an odd way of showing it. He wasn't around often, and never made time for me. I'm still surprised he said it, to be honest, because growing up I'd always gotten the impression that had been  _you_ ," he said, motioning at Steve to let him finish. "Now, I bare no resentment now about that, and you're probably the most important thing in my life."

Steve gets the same feeling he'd had in the workshop earlier, but stronger, because of these words. He felt a constricting in his throat, a harder beating in his chest, and a twisty flop in his stomach.

"I'm getting off track, though," Tony continues. "The point is, my old man was a drunk when he was around, and I barely knew him. My mother tried, but she wasn't 'World's Best Mom' mug material, either. So yeah, I had birthday parties, but they were awful. They were just like the parties I have to attend now, nothing fit for a child-" at this Steve fleetingly wonders if that's why Tony's drinking problem started so early, but he dismisses the thought for the time being- "What I'm trying to say is," Tony says, as he scratches at the back of his neck, "that I have you now. You're my person. So it's my birthday, and this year we're going to have fun, even if it means acting like the child I never got to be."

Tony looks lighter now, and Steve can't help but smile at that last part. He remains silent for a moment, just observing Tony's expressions, before hopping out of the truck and walking around to Tony's side. He gently tugs the troubled man out of the front seat, and wraps his arms around his waist, allowing his hands to slip into Tony's back pockets.

"Then we'll have a great time," Steve whispers in Tony's ear, before pulling back just a little. "But I do have to ask, are you worried about us being seen? Like this?" He motions between the two of them. "We're in a very public place, we'll definitely be recognized. I mean, it's just that we haven't really talked about it before. Even at home, the others just kind of see us together."

"I don't know that I'll ever be  _ready_ ," Tony says, "But I do know that I won't miss out on living my life because of what other people might think. You're in my life now, there's no way I'm going to hide that." He stops for a moment, and Steve see him analyzing his reactions carefully. "I mean, as long as that's okay with  _you_ ," Tony adds, blushing. "Um, if you want us to be public. If we are an us? I mean, you'll be my boyfriend, right?"

Steve can't help but have the biggest grin on his face; it's not often he gets to see Tony flustered, and he's also just heard what he's been hoping for. So yes, he is positively _beaming_.

"Yes, Tony, I will be your boyfriend," Steve emphasizes, pressing his lips gently to the shorter man's, as Tony pulls him in closer. "And I'm damn proud of it."

Steve, still smiling, pulls back from Tony, and laces their hands together, rubbing his thumb across the back of Tony's hand. The inventor begins to laugh, and Steve then decides they've had more than enough seriousness, and that it's time they go inside and have some fun.


	6. When Everything Feels Like The Movies

Tony knows he's been hit. He knows Steve just saw the laser hit him dead center on his chest plate. He knows this is why Steve is screaming, and running over to him, dodging the lasers now aimed at him.

Tony also knows that this had to be the funniest thing he has ever witnessed. After spending the first part of their morning racing go-carts on the race track, and smashing into each other, and others, on the bumper cars, the two decided they should get out of the sun for a while, and had headed inside.

Inside the brightly colored building were an arcade, and a huge area where you played games with tokens, which you could win tickets from. The tickets were used at the end of your day, in the adjacent prize room. Finally, on the back wall there was a single, black door. Above it was a large neon sign, reading "LASER TAG." And so, Steve's curiosity had led them to this moment. They were outnumbers four to one by a group of thirteen year old boys, and they were losing.

Steve had been shot twice already, before realizing there was no shield on his arm to block the laser beams. Tony, however, has now received his third hit, and is out, leaving Steve on his own. As Steve rushes to Tony's side, the downed man can't help but laugh at how serious the super soldier is taking the game. In his rush, Steve receives his third hit. For this reason, Steve collapses on his teammate, in a fit of laughter, as the group of boys emerges from their hiding positions to leave with their victory.

"I guess I'm really not much without my suit of armor then, am I?" Tony laughs.

"Not much less than I am without my shield," Steve admits, teasingly. "But it's not our fault! We were outnumbered! And I've never done this!" He defends, feeling mildly embarrassed.

They're busted up laughing when Tony hears it.

"Fags," spits one of the boys, as he comes back for the goggles he'd dropped. "Didn't even try to make it hard for us."

Tony knows Steve hears it, too, as the billionaire feels the old-fashioned man tense before standing up. Tony watches as Steve's expression goes from embarrassed to  _pissed_  in no time at all, and stands up next to his boyfriend.

At well over six feet tall, the super soldier now towers over the pre-pubescent skater boy, who, once he sees the two men in front of him, realizes who he's just insulted. Tony watches as  _his_  face goes from haughty to down-right scared in the same amount of time.

"Now," Steve sternly says, adopting what Tony recognizes as the 'Captain America Is In Command' voice, "is there anything you intended to add to that?"

"I-I uh, no," the boy stammers. "No, sir, I mean. I uh didn't mean anything by it, I just um meant that um-"

"Kid," Tony interjects, "I'd just stop now if I were you."

Tony watches as Steve still stares sternly down at the kid, who hesitates momentarily before turning on his heel and hurrying away. Tony thinks he hears a sheepish "sorry."

"That's all?" Tony questions, knowing the kid deserves some kind of punishment. "We should call his parents. Or at least try to explain to him what it is that was so wrong. We can't just-"

Steve silences him with a quick kiss, saying "if we do anything more, he'll just be defensive, and won't learn anything anyway," as he leads Tony out to the gaming room.

They spend the rest of their time playing games, trying to get as many tickets as possible. Tony knows he shouldn't, but whenever he thinks Steve isn't looking, or is absorbed in a game, the tech genius uses his phone (and J.A.R.V.I.S.) to make sure that whichever games skater kid and his friends are playing are just a  _little_  harder to win tickets from.

By the end of the day, Steve and Tony are able to get quite a few of the prizes, which Steve is very proud of himself for, cashing in their tickets for a stuff monkey Tony mentally names Stevie, a magic eight ball, two silly t-shirts with references to a reality program about Jersey that Steve doesn't understand, and two silly looking hats. Steve also insists on one last prize, which he says is for Tony. It's a giant stuffed black bear, with a red t-shirt reading "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" in large, yellow letters.

"It's perfect for you!" Steve gushes, as he hands it to his birthday boy, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Tony also hears the clicks of a few camera phones, but is too happy to point it out to the adorable man beside him.

The drive home is pretty quiet, both men lost in thought, with music playing in the background. After about twenty minutes, Tony watches as Steve pulls out the magic eight ball, asking what it's for.

Tony laughs, teasing "Why don't you ask it?" To which he receives a confused stare. "You ask it a question," he explains, "and then you shake it. The little window with show you the answer."

"Oh," Steve says, adding "Well then. Do I have the best boyfriend in the world?" He then shakes the plastic novelty vigorously.

"What's it say?"

"It says 'outlook good,'" Steve answers. "So I guess that's a yes?"

"Of course it is, I'm  _awesome_."

"Haha," Steve mocks dryly. "Well in that case, magic eight ball, is my best ever boyfriend also a sneaky brat who made those kids lose their tokens?"

"Hey! I didn't think you saw that…" Tony objects while Steve shakes again.

"'Without a doubt,'" Steve says, grinning. "Of course I saw you. You're not nearly as sneaky as you think you are."

Tony sticks his tongue out at Steve, adding "It's not like they didn't deserve it."

Steve just laughs and gives Tony a wink, and Tony knows he's just giving him a hard time.

They sit in comfortable silence, and Tony switches the Ozzy Osbourne CD in the player for one he'd bought by The Andrews Sisters. When Steve heard it, he leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and hummed softly along. The CD plays for a while, and they're almost home.

"You're perfect," Tony whispers softly, thinking the younger man has fallen asleep.

Steve, facing the window, smiles to himself, glad that Tony had had a good birthday.

Once they get home, they say "hello" to the others, who surprise Tony with his favorite Thai food, and a cake from the local bakery.

Thor justifies by saying "Though you said you desired no kind of a fuss, we could not help ourselves," to which Tony laughs and thanks them.

The rest of the night is spent watching a movie with popcorn, before Tony and Steve go up to bed. After they've showered and settled down into bed, Steve with a sketchbook and Tony with a tablet, Tony starts to feel sleepy. Steve notices him slowly nodding off, and as Tony slowly drifts to sleep, Steve takes his tablet and pulls his covers up. He sets his sketchbook aside, and turns off the lights, before wrapping his arms around Tony.

"You're pretty perfect yourself," he whispers, and Tony can't help but feel like this is the greatest birthday he's ever had.


	7. Putting Up Walls

_One Month Later_

When Steve starts to wake up, he feels as happy as he's ever been. Tony is still wrapped in his arms, and the memory of go-carts and laser tag is still fresh in his mind. He's prepared to snuggle back down to sleep, but his phone starts to beep from the bedside table.

Then, he's fully awake. He reaches over to disable the alarm, leaning over the cool, empty place next to him, realizing that just like the past two weeks, Tony isn't there. It had started slowly; Tony would wake up a little earlier each day, until he wouldn't go to sleep at all. He'd started showering after sex and would then head down to his lab, leaving Steve alone.

It's seven a.m., and Steve just curls back up, not sure why this is happening. Everything was going so well after Tony's birthday. Their relationship had grown deeper, Tony had started to let down his walls bit by bit. But now? Now it feels like they're moving backwards; quickly, for that matter.

They're still together, it seems to Steve. On nights they don't have sex, they both still suffer from their insomnia, for instance, so Steve still sits with Tony in the workshop. Now, however, they generally keep to themselves with their own work, and any intimate conversation has turned to idle chatter.

Steve is unsure if he'd rather stay in bed, moping to himself, or get up and go on with his day like Tony seems to. He's almost  _wishing_  for some kind of attack on the city; at least he'd have something to do and think about. Or maybe he wishes he had the gut to just  _talk_  to Tony about this, and find out why the man seems to have stopped caring.

But maybe, Tony isn't doing this on purpose. What if this is just how he is in relationships? Maybe after the so-called "honeymoon phase," he goes back to his old ways; up at all hours, closed off and guarded. Steve thinks maybe he should talk to Pepper, but he's not sure that that's a great idea. It might help, but Steve knows it could hurt her feelings, especially if Tony hadn't told her yet.

After lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, Steve decides it's the best idea he's come up with so far, and after a few minutes of trying to figure out his phone, he shoots Pepper a text about meeting for coffee. She replies back instantly, making the soldier-out-of-time feel a little embarrassed by his "old man skills," as Tony calls them. After a few more texts back and forth, they agree on meeting at eight-thirty at the coffee shop on the ground-floor at Stark Industries.

Steve, being how he is, is early. After a quick shower, he had slipped on a pair of jeans that Tony had bought for him that were far more modern than he was used to, with a nice button down shirt. He had shrugged on a nice pea coat, which Tony had also insisted on getting him, and his shoes and walked the short distance to Tony's office building.

He sits down with his coffee, black, and waits for Pepper to arrive; hardly able to drink because of his nerves. When he sees her, he gives a little wave, and she acknowledges him with a small nod, getting in line to place her order. Finally, she sits. Observing the tired, anxious expression on the normally cool, calm, and collected Captain's face, she herself adopts a worried countenance.

"I'm obviously assuming this is about Tony," Pepper starts, hoping to break the ice.

"Yes, yeah, I just," Steve stammers, "I need help. And I know this is going to be weird. It has to be. I can't see it  _not_  being uncomfortable for you. I might as well just say it, as I don't know how much Tony has told you, but-"

"Steve, slow down, and take a breath," the redhead says, hoping to calm his nerves. "Tony hasn't said anything, explicitly at least. But he really doesn't have to." Steve sees her start to work on her phone, wondering what she could be looking at, before she slides it his way.

"What is this?" He asks, overwhelmed by the colors and images all over the webpage.

"It's a website devoted to celebrity gossip and 'news,' which Tony is no stranger to. However, this is probably your first appearance. This is just here on this site, but there are dozens of other websites, and magazines, like this one, that have all run the same story."

Upon closer inspection, Steve recognizes the picture. He hasn't seen it, but he sees that it's from Tony's birthday at that fun park. It's a picture of them kissing, while Tony is holding the birthday bear. All of a sudden, the anxiety he's feeling turns into embarrassment, and his stomach is in knots.

"So this, this 'story' is something that other people find interesting? It's common knowledge?" Steve asks, unsure if he's processing this all correctly.

"To be blunt, Steve, yes. The general public seems to be interested not only in your relationship, but any celebrity's. I'm sure anyone who turned over photos of that day made a little extra cash. As for your second question, yes. It's common knowledge that the two of you are in a relationship."

"I had no  _idea_. I don't really use the internet… But, I mean, is that why Tony is acting weird? Because now we're public? We talked about it that day! He said he didn't  _care_  who knew! He wanted to just l-live his life!" Steve doesn't realize he's raising his voice with his increasing frustration.

"I'm going to guess how Tony is acting. Just nod if I'm on the right track, okay?" Steve nods in response, waiting for Pepper to continue. "I'm guessing everything was going really well. Tony was around more, he was sleeping better, eating better." Steve finds himself nodding along emphatically. "And then, slowly, that started to change. He started to revert to his old ways. He started to disappear after sex, stopped sleeping in bed with you," at this, Steve blushes, not used to discussing his sex life with anyone.

"Steve," the concerned woman in front of him places her hand on Steve's, "Tony doesn't hate you. He hasn't changed his mind, or his feelings. He's starting to panic. You may have learned this already, but Tony has emotional issues, abandonment issues, and a plethora of other things wrong with him," Steve starts to object, but Pepper stops him. "Let me finish. Tony loves you, is  _in love_  with you. That's why he's acting this way. He sees that you clearly reciprocate the feelings, and the whole world can see it. He also knows that if you change your mind, the world will see that, too. And based on his track record with loved ones, he's pretty much ready for that. Even I didn't help him, there. So instead of letting you hurt him, he's trying to distance himself; he wants the upper hand, if you will."

"But he's  _wrong_ ," Steve is almost frantic now. "I won't leave him. He's the most important thing in the world to me. I need him," he begins to whisper, realizing what he's about to say. "I won't stop loving him. I  _can't_  stop loving him."

"Then all you really need to do," Pepper advises, "is prove that to him. But it won't be easy. Just don't let him push you away  _too_  much. Stick around, make him open up."

With that, she stands, without even the slightest wobble on her heels, and leans down to give Steve a kiss on the cheek. He promptly stands, pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you, Pepper," he thanks, meaning it so much more than she could know.

"It's no problem," she affirms before walking away, adding "Just make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"I won't," Steve says quietly to himself. "I can't."


	8. Full of Empty Sighs and Whiskey

Drink one.

One day, a few weeks after his birthday, it hits Tony like a ton of bricks. He, Anthony Stark, is in love with Steve Rogers.

The feeling had been building over the last few weeks, but after waking up in Steve's arms one day, and feeling his steady heartbeat and warm breath on his neck, he knew. He knows it like he knows everything else, from quantum mechanics to the complete ACDC anthology. What he doesn't know, is if Steve feels the same way.

After reflecting on his past relationships, or lack-there-of, he knows what will happen. Steve will leave, turn on him, or die. Tony knows if any of these things happen it might just kill him.

Drink two.

Whoever said "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," clearly didn't anticipate the existence of Tony Stark. His track record of emotionally distant parents who died untimely deaths, getting kidnapped in Afghanistan, Yinsen's death, the Obi fiasco, a blackout bender in which he temporarily alienated everyone who cared about him, and his break up with Pepper, Tony is pretty sure he needs Steve to keep him alive as much as he needs the ARC reactor to keep his heart beating in his chest.

And that? That terrifies him. And so, Tony has been pulling back, keeping his walls up. He doesn't want Steve to know anymore than he already does, which is more than most. But Steve isn't making it easy, he keeps trying. If Tony were any other  _normal_  person, he might realize that this is because Steve feels the same way for Tony. Also, it's not like Tony wants to break things off completely. He just wants to make it easier when things with Steve head south.

Drink three.

Looking at the clock, Tony realizes he's been in his workshop since three a.m., and Steve hasn't come down. He figures it's time for a shower, and maybe a mug of coffee. Or whiskey. He'll see how he feels after that shower.

When he gets upstairs, though, he notices that Steve is gone. He wants to call him, find out where he went, since it's not even nine a.m. yet. But he can't do that. Tony can't let himself care too much; he can't distance himself only to fall back into Steve.

"He's probably in the gym, or out for a run," Tony reassures himself quietly.

Forty-five minutes later, he's climbing out of the shower. His buzz is still slightly there, but those three scotches early weren't enough to really do much damage. After combing and gelling his hair, he wraps a towel around his waist and emerges into the bedroom. Not really paying attention, he starts to dress in whatever seems appropriate. He tugs a shirt over his head, as he turns toward the bed.

At this point Tony just about jumps out of his skin. Steve is sitting on the edge of the bed, straight-faced and calm.

"Hey," Tony says shakily. "I, um, didn't see you when I came in."

"It's okay," Steve's voice is extremely soft and quiet. "Could we talk?"

Tony freezes at that. Those words. Those never, ever, good words. Instantly, the red flashing lights and sirens go off in his head, telling him to abandon ship.

"Ya know, I was just showering to, uh, get ready," Tony's excuse starts to tumble from his lips, and Steve cocks his head, looking absolutely adorable. "I have a, um, meeting that I have to go to."

"Dressed like that?" Steve nods at Tony, who is wearing an old Black Sabbath t-shirt, and gym shorts.

Tony pauses, he needs to think quickly. "No, I uh, just wanted to put on something comfortable while my hair is still wet?" He almost poses it as a question, Steve mostly just looks hurt.

Tony knows his lies are making no sense, but he just can't handle "the talk" right now.

"Tony-" Steve starts, before the panicking older man cuts him off.

"We'll talk later, 'kay?" Tony blurts out. Why did he just offer that? Oh right, Steve looks like a kicked puppy.

"Okay," Steve agrees, looking a little bit more relieved.

"Okay," Tony reaffirms. "Then I'm just going to get going. To the, uh, the meeting," Tony knows that Steve knows he's lying, but he rushes out of the bedroom anyway. He's definitely thinking it'll be whiskey over coffee.

* * *

When Steve gets back from coffee with Pepper, he checks Tony's workshop to see if the inventor is still down there, but the expansive room is still empty. Next he tries the kitchen, but the only person there is a sleepy-looking Bruce. So Steve assumes Tony is in his room, and tries to muster up the courage to go through with his talk. He hears the shower running as he approaches, and enters quietly to wait for Tony to finish.

Steve starts to take in the appearance of the room, as he often does when Tony is sleeping or in the shower. The room is almost always immaculately clean, and there are few personal items to speak of, save for a couple of small gadgets on the dresser and beside table. Overall, the room could pretty much be anyone's, but that, Steve believes, is why it is _so Tony's_. The lack of artwork on the walls, the lack of any personal touches, the always-made bed, even  _guest bedrooms_  have homey touches.

Steve is distracted from his musings when he hears the water shut off, and a few minutes later Tony comes into the bedroom, eyes unfocused and looking down. Steve can tell that Tony hasn't noticed him yet as the older man stares into a dresser drawer, without having acknowledged Steve's presence. The blonde man, feeling awkward isn't sure what to say, so he just waits. He watches as Tony gets dressed, and judging by the outfit, Steve thinks he might be going down to the gym. Maybe Tony would let him go with him, and they could talk while they worked out.

Steve is still just sitting on the edge of the bed, when Tony turns around and jumps, more startled than Steve could have anticipated. Steve instantly feels bad.

"Hey," Tony says, and Steve can hear the shakiness in his voice. "I, um, didn't see you when I came in."

"It's okay," Steve's voice comes out extremely soft and quiet. "Could we talk?" He asks, hoping he can get Tony to open up about what's wrong.

He sees Tony freeze at that. He wonders what is going on in the smaller man's head.

"Ya know, I was just showering to, uh, get ready," Tony's excuse starts to tumble from his lips, and Steve cocks his head, and stares at Tony confusedly. "I have a, um, meeting that I have to go to," Tony adds.

"Dressed like that?" Steve nods at Tony, referencing the old Black Sabbath t-shirt and gym shorts he'd seen him slip on.

Tony pauses. "No, I uh, just wanted to put on something comfortable while my hair is still wet?" He almost poses it as a question, and Steve can feel a tightening in his chest, and his throat starts to hurt. He knows that Tony is lying, and is desperate to get out of the room. He holds back his tears, and swallows to maintain his composure.

"Tony-" Steve starts, before Tony suddenly cuts him off.

"We'll talk later, 'kay?" Tony blurts out.

"Okay," Steve agrees, feeling a little bit relieved, though he knows Tony is probably just trying to find another way out for later.

"Okay," Tony reaffirms. "Then I'm just going to get going. To the, uh, the meeting," Steve watches as he leaves quickly, without having ever changed into any semblance of a business-meeting-appropriate outfit.

Left hanging in the room is the smell of Tony. Steve loves that smell, the smell of his shampoo, his soap, his hair gel. He takes a deep breath. He also smells a scent that had been absent since Tony had started courting Steve. Following Tony out of the room, is the faint scent of whiskey.


	9. And I Swear That I Will Never Leave

Drink four.

Unsure of where else he could have gone, Tony ends up having Happy drive him around town for a few hours, while he lays across the back seat. He's worried, upset, and heading toward depressed. Steve will probably hate him forever.

Drink five.

If Steve does hate him, Tony doesn't know what he'll do. Then again, he's already a little drunk, so he might just not know anything in general. He does know, though, that he'd like another glass of this beautiful, amber liquid.

Drink six?

He's given up drinking from a glass in favor of drinking straight from the bottle. While he had stopped drinking in an attempt to better himself for Steve, Tony hadn't actually gotten rid of any of the good stuff. And this is the good stuff.

He finally glances at his watch, and decides that his made-up meeting could be made-up over.

"Mmm back now, 'appy?" He slurs the request to Happy, who eagerly obliges, just glad to be out of the car filled with borderline-toxic fumes.

Tony slides his way out of the car, and stumbles his way to the elevator in the lobby of his building, glad that he's the only one who has access to his private one. Well, him and the other Avengers. But he's alone now, and that's what matters.

The elevator gives a mechanical ding, signaling to Tony that he's reached his destination; the living room. Attached is the kitchen and a full bar. He makes his way to the bar, only bumping into the kitchen table once, and grabs a bottle of good Russian vodka. Nothing like mixing your liquors to truly numb yourself, he figures. He grabs a bottle of Bacardi for later, and collapses on the couch.

About an hour, half a bottle of the vodka, later Tony is thoroughly wasted. As wasted as he can ever remember being in the last year. This is also when he realizes he hasn't seen hide or tail of Steve since he'd gotten home.

"Steeebe?" Tony calls out. "Steeebe? You mm home?"

There's no answer, and Tony gets frustrated. Where is he? He's calling for him, he  _needs_  him, and he's not here. He's probably left for good. Which Tony is sure he deserves. He takes another long pull from the bottle, and then throws it as hard as he can at the wall next to the hallway.

All of a sudden, Steve appears in the doorway. Well, it feels like all of a sudden to Tony. He's probably been standing there for a while. Whatever.

"Steeeeeeebe! I mmmissed you!" Tony yells, louder than he thinks he is.

Steve is just staring at him. Why is Steve just staring at him?

"Steebe? Why're you jus starin' at me? S'there something on me?" He glances down at his shirt.

"Tony," Steve says somberly, "What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for you 'course. Cuz we had said that we'd talk later and now it's lllater, so now we can talk."

"Tony, I don't want to talk to you when you're like this."

"Why's that, Steve?" Tony starts to get defensive. "You jus don' want to talk to  _me_? This is who I was! This is what I was like 'fore you."

"Tony, no," Steve starts to reason, but chokes a little.

"Are you gonna start crying? You can't cry! I'm the one being dumped by the one person in the world I love!" Tony tries to focus on how he's saying his words. He also notices that Steve's eyes are rimmed red, and there are tracks on his face from tears. He just doesn't understand why.

"Tony I,  _no_ , what are you  _talking about_?"

"You  _hate_  me, and I knew you would. You said you wanted to talk earlier! You're breaking up with me!" Tony screams, and he's never,  _ever_ , felt this broken. He feels like he's being torn in half. And he feels powerless to stop it.

* * *

Steve stays in Tony's room after Tony leaves. It practically feels like his room anyway. He curls up on himself, and just waits. He doesn't realize it at first, but he's crying. He shifts his head, and his ear and cheek feel that the pillow is wet. He cries harder, and his breathing turns into sobbing. He can't believe Tony can make him this way.

Eventually Steve falls asleep, until he hears a door slam shut. Figuring it's just Thor or Clint, however, he just rolls onto his other side and stares at the wall. It stays pretty much silent for the next hour, until He hears someone calling out.

"Steeebe?" Steve hears the muffled slur. "Steeebe? You mm home?"

Is that Tony? Why does he sound so drunk? He hadn't been more than a little buzzed when he'd fled earlier. He doesn't investigate for a minute, feeling uneasy. He's walking down the hallway when he hears the crash, and sees the explosion of glass fly past the hallway's opening.

He emerges warily, and a minute later, Tony realizes he's standing there.

"Steeeeeeebe! I mmmissed you!" Tony yells, and Steve winces at the volume.

Steve just watches him. He feels uneasy, and almost sickened, by the version of Tony he sees before him. He'd only heard stories and rumors about the former playboy's old ways.

"Steebe? Why're you jus starin' at me? S'there something on me?" Tony looks down at his shirt, and Steve tries to stay calm.

"Tony," Steve says slowly, "What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for you 'course. Cuz we had said that we'd talk later and now it's lllater, so now we can talk."

Not only can Steve can hear how drunk he is, by his thick and slurred words, he can  _smell_  it. The light scent of whiskey has been replaced by the sour smell of an old bar.

"Tony, I don't want to talk to you when you're like this," Steve can't try to reason with Tony when he's like this, they'll just end up hurt.

"Why's that, Steve?" Tony starts to scream. "You jus don' want to talk to  _me_? This is who I was! This is what I was like 'fore you."

"Tony, no," Steve starts to reason, but chokes a little on new tears.

"Are you gonna start crying? You can't cry! I'm the one being dumped by the one person in the world I love!" Tony's speech clear up a bit, and Steve almost can't believe he heard what he heard. Tony loves him?

"Tony I,  _no_ , what are you  _talking about_?" Steve also starts to scream, tears welling up in his eyes, his voice constricting.

"You  _hate_  me, and I knew you would. You said you wanted to talk earlier! You're breaking up with me!"

Steve can't believe what he's hearing. He can't believe what he's seeing. He can't believe the whole situation. He's been in love with Tony since he woke up, and Tony was there. He didn't believe it at first, he blamed it on confusion. It progressed over time, and he fully accepted it the first time Tony had truly opened up to him. And now? Now, now here he is standing in front of Tony, who is so drunk Steve can't believe he's even still functioning. Now he's hearing Tony profess his own feelings, and the fact that he thinks Steve  _hates_  him.

"Tony! Why- why would you  _say_  that? Why would you even  _think_  that? I've loved you since the first time I saw you. I never even believed in love at first sight, but then there you were!" The words are falling out of his mouth before he even knows what he's saying, but he knows they need to be said. "And I couldn't accept it! I fought you tooth and nail on everything. But then we worked things out. Our relationship improved. Then the best thing in the world happened, and you made my literal dreams come true! I stopped breathing when you asked me to stay that night. I knew from then on I'd never leave you. I'd never let anything happen to you. I have always loved you, Tony. I will always love you. Don't push me away like this. And don't ever think I'll leave you," he finishes pleadingly.

Tony freezes. All movement stops, and Steve just waits. Tony had gotten off the couch, and had been approaching the super soldier carefully, trying not to step on the broken glass, while still staying upright. He's now frozen in front of Steve, and looks so hesitant Steve thinks time might have stopped.

All of a sudden, Tony is grasping him as tightly as he can imagine the drunken genius has the strength for. He can feel Tony sobbing into his shoulder, and he can feel the breaths and shudders wracking Tony's smaller frame. He guides Tony to the couch, and he holds him there.

Eventually Tony has calmed down a little and starts to explain to Steve what has been going on in his mind. He tells him his fears of Steve leaving him, and Steve listens patiently. Tony explains about his past failed platonic, professional, and romantic relationships with his parents, Yinsen, Obi, Pepper, and everyone else he has ever known. How everyone leaves him in some way. Steve knows all of the stories about these people, but he's never thought about the cumulative effect they could have on one man's mind.

He pulls Tony in as close as he can, and kisses his forehead.

"Tony, you asked me to stay once, and I did. If I hadn't wanted to, I wouldn't have. I have no plans of leaving you. I can swear to you, I will never leave you. It's me and you. I love you."

Steve feels Tony sink into him, and he wraps his arms around him. As Tony nods off from the excessive alcohol and exhaustingly emotional afternoon, Steve hears it, as quiet and beautiful as the first "stay," Tony had sleepily uttered.

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final real chapter, but I'll be adding an epilogue.
> 
> I'm currently in the middle of Like Rain on a Window. And I have quite a few one-shot ideas in mind, as well as a desire to continue in my Lonely 'Verse.
> 
> After that, I might do a sequel for this one, since I have some ideas. But I could always use those ideas in another story. Let me know what you think about that. :)


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, commenting, etc. It's very much appreciated!  
> I hope to come back to this again one day!

It's been a few months since Tony's breakdown, and Steve wants to say everything is perfect, that things with Tony are amazing, and couldn't be better. That, of course, isn't true. Certainly, things have improved. Slowly, Tony is opening up more each day. His "I love you, too" comes out a little louder, and once in a while he'll even say it first. On those occasions, his face is always riddled with apprehension, as if he thinks it could upset Steve. Instead, the super soldier just grins and gives him a kiss.

Obviously Steve can see Tony is still scared, still nervous about the idea that Steve could leave him. But Steve knows he never will. He could never hurt Tony, let alone  _leave_  him. Sometimes, when Steve comes home from a run or sparring practice with a teammate, he'll find Tony slumped against the bar, or sulking in his room. Sometimes he's a little drunk, but usually he's just clutching the glass, looking at it in deep concentration. This has been happening less frequently, though, and with less severity.

They both still have their issues with insomnia, but even that seems to be improving. When they are up at night, Tony has stopped being as quiet, and he's started telling Steve stories again. Once in a while, he'll even tell Steve stories about Howard. In these stories, Steve can see the hurt the older Stark had caused his son. One day, Steve asks a question he thinks Tony might get upset about, but he has to know.

"You said once," Steve starts, as he's lying next to Tony on a couch in the workshop, "that you didn't understand why your father had called you his 'greatest creation,'" Steve can feel Tony tense against him, but he runs a hand through his hair to calm him down. "You said you thought that was me. Why?"

Tony is still for a moment before answering, and Steve even starts to think he's fallen asleep.

"He never stopped looking for you, which you know. I'm sure you've heard about the dozens of expeditions he launched over the years. He always said there was 'some variable he was missing.' When he wasn't working, or out on an actual expedition, he was trying to figure out where you'd crashed. He had this map in his office, and it was covered in pins and scribbles. He'd looked everywhere. He truly had.

"Needless to say, he was pretty desperate to find you. You were all he talked about when I was little. I think he intended for you to be a role model of mine," Tony pauses here, flushing. "And you were. I had dolls and trading cards and posters. All the good stuff. My dad even made me a replica shield out of some spare junk metal he had. That was one of the only things he ever gave me, thoughtfully at least.

"You have to know, he was extremely proud of you. He had had a hand in developing you alongside Erskine. Oftentimes, I didn't see that same pride when he spoke to me, or of me. He missed graduations, speeches, dinners. He scowled at an 'A-,' and that's only if I could get him to acknowledge my report cards at all. He had all the time in the world for you, and none for me," Tony clears his throat and turns to face Steve. "I think he wanted me to be more like you, honestly. Sure I was a genius, and he loved that, but I was also the nerdy kid getting shoved into his high school locker when he should have been in middle school.

"It's all pretty reasonable, too. You were the hero of his generation. He saw that for all his intelligence, all he got was money, fake friends, and loneliness," he laughs at this. "Hell, that's all I got for it, until I got you. So, long story short, he never had time for me, never cared about what I did. But he had time for you, time to care about where you were. I mean, I guess that's why," he finishes.

Steve is quiet for a minute, and he rests his chin on the top of Tony's head. He isn't sure how to address some of what Tony has said about him, but he does know he can assure Tony that he's important.

"I think your father," he calls him Tony's father, since he clearly wasn't the Howard he knew, "also had trouble opening up, and showing his emotions. This is something I also think he passed on to you with his award winning grin, charisma, and hair," he teases to lighten the mood, and the older man laughs a little. "I think he was extremely proud of you, and didn't know how to show it. You probably even intimidated him, a little. At fifteen you were already on his level, academically.

"He shut you out, because he didn't know what else to do with you. But, I think you were truly his 'greatest creation,' to him. He knew you'd be able to carry on his legacy, and build it higher than he could have ever imagined. You're right that he came from a generation where I was a hero, where men like me were the ideal. And along with that came the idea that men were big, strong, emotionless soldiers. He tried to be that way, it seems, after I disappeared; the Howard I knew had been a genius playboy.

"I think he saw a lot of himself in you, and I do, too. I think it scared him. I think you're right, too, about how he wanted you to be better than him, and to have a happier life," Steve pauses here, before continuing with what he also thinks must be said. "And if none of that is true, if he truly had no idea how amazing you are, then that was his loss, because you _are_  his greatest creation. I can't imagine life without you, and I don't want to."

Tony looks up at Steve, and Steve sees any appearance of fear, doubt, and anxiety disappear from his face.

"I love you, Steve Rogers," he says confidently.

"I love you, too, Tony Stark," Steve says back. "And I'll stay right here with you."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

* * *

 **A/N:**  Alrighty! That's the end for now! I would really love to know what you think, if you could just leave a little feedback. Positive or negative. I mean, as long as it's constructive.

I have a few one-shots I'm going to post throughout the week, so check back in :)


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